Article advancement mechanism for inclined shelf vending machine



June 22, 1965 H- R. CRAVEN 3,190,492

ARTICLE ADVANCEMENT MECHANISM FOR INCLINED SHELF VENDING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Herman R. Cm ven June 22, 1965 H. R. CRAVEN 3,190,492

ARTICLE ADVANCEMENT MECHANISM FOR INGLINED SHELF VENDING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ARTHCLE ADVANCEMENT MECHANHSM FOR INCLHNED SHELF VENDING MACHINE Herman R. Craven, Prairie Village, Kans assignor to The Vendo Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. No. 279,386 7 Claims. (Cl. 221-87) This invention relates to improvements in inclined shelf vending machines and, more specifically, to means for adapting existing machines so that the latter may be employed to vend canned beverages.

An example of a slant shelf vending machine presently in widespread usage is shown in US. Letters Patent t Bookout et al., No. 2,766,906, date/d October 16, 1956 and entitled Selective Bottled Beverage Vending Machine. In machines of this type bottled beverages to be vended to customers gravitate down an inclined shelf with the lower bottle coming to rest in alignment with a delivery opening. The delivery opening is accessible to customers and provides means by which customers may reach into the machine and remove a bottle therefrom after placing appropriate coinage in the machine to effect the release of a control gate which normally prevents the lower bottle from being removed. Since the bottles have necks of reduced diameter as compared with the main body portions thereof, the lower bottle is readily removed from the machine when the gate is released by merely grasping the neck thereof and withdrawing the bottle.

At the present time, however, beverages are canned in as wide a variety as were formally available only in bottles. Canned beverages offer advantages over bottle packaging, particularly with regard to easier disposability, elimination of the empty return problem and safety considerations. Consequently, it is expected that canned beverages will continue to take an increasing share of the total beverage market and demand vending machines adapted for efficient hand-ling of the canned beverages.

The slant shelf bottle vender described in the aforesaid Letters Patent is for all practical purposes inoperable with cans since there is no part of the can package which is capable of projecting forwardly of the control gate for grasping by the customer for purposes of withdrawal as is provided by the necks of bottles.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the instant invention to provide means for adapting slant shelf bottle vending machines such as described in the aforesaid Letters Patent to effectively handle the vending of cans.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for modifying the control gate to adapt the same for direct manual operation by the customer.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for moving the can or other packaged product outwardly toward the customer as the control gate is opened so that it may be easily grasped.

It is still another object of this invention to provide means for guiding cans to be vended into the product support station for removal by the customer in a manner to eliminate the possibility of jamming of the cans due to locking of the rims of the can to be vended with the rims of the can adjacent thereto on the inclined shelf.

Other objects will become apparent as the detailed description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of two product support stations with the inclined shelves therefor re moved;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, detailed view of the product supporting rack and the product pusher;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4- is a front elevational view of two product support stations with their slanting shelves in place; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a product support station with the shelf therefor in place.

At the outset it should be understood that the vending apparatus in its entirety is not shown in the drawings since the invention relates to improvements in existing well-known vending machines. The drawings are directed specifically to these improvements, the cooperating structure for completing the vending function being fully disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent. Therefore, said patent is incorporated herein by reference as may be necessary for a full and complete understanding of the vending functions of the apparatus to be hereinafter described.

FIGURES 1 and 5 show the portion of the vending machine structure with which the instant invention is concerned. A frame member ltl within the vending machine and structural members 12 and 1d are shown for supporting the apparatus to be hereinafter described. The inner faces 16 and 13 of structural members 12 and 14, respectively, form a part of a pair of product or article support stations generally designated 26 and deline a corresponding pair of article delivery openings or passages 22. It may be noted that a can 24 or other article or packaged product to be vended is shown partially filling the delivery opening of the lower support station Ztl in FIG. 1, the can being in a position permitting ready grasping thereof by the customer. Can 24- at the upper support station 20, however, is shown in position within the vending apparatus prior to vending.

Each of the support stations 2Q is provided with a rack or cradle 26 comprising a bottom plate 23 integral with an upstanding flange 3%. Mounting lugs 32 and 34 provide means for securing rack 26 to members 14 and 12, respectively. Upturned flange 35 at the rear end of plate 255 provides means for securing the rack to member 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5 inclusive, it may be seen that a control or vend gate 36 is disposed in opening 22 for swinging movement from a position blocking the path of travel of can 24 when the latter is vended to a position wherein dispensing of the can is permitted. More specifically, the upper gate 36 in FIG. 1, along with the gates shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is shown in the normal position obstructing opening 22 while the lower gate 36 in FIG. 1 is shown in the open position. Each gate 36 is provided with a pair of opposed pintles 33 which are journaled in structural members 12 and 1 5. Each gate 36 is also provided with a bifurcated extension til for coupling with a shiftable divider bar (not shown).

The divider bar and its associated structure are disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent. The patent reveals that the function of the divider bar is to prevent products adjacent the product to be vended from gravitating into the rack until relocking of the control gate 3-5. In the apparatus of the instant invention, therefore, such divider bar would prevent the can 42 adjacent can 24- from gravitating onto plate 28 until gate 36 is returned to the normal position and locked in place by the vending mechanism.

Shelves 4-4 are provided for the racks 26 and serve to receive the canned beverages and permit the latter to gravitate into the respective racks. It may be noted that each shelf 44 and the bottom plate 28 of the corresponding rack are inclined and form a continuous ramp for conveying the canned beverages.

With particular reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 it may be seen that plate 28 contains a number of holes 46 which 6 receive the downturned end 48 of leg St the other end of leg 5i) being rigid with shelf 44. This, in conjunction with tabs 52 integral with shelf 44 and overlying plate 28, secures the shelf to the corresponding rack. The plurality of holes 46 is provided to adapt the coupling of shelves of varying widths with the corresponding rack.

Referring now to the means provided by the instant invention for ejecting a can or other article from the rack in which it is positioned to facilitate grasping by the customer, it may be seen that a pusher, generally designated 54, is swingably mounted on an upstanding strip 56 which is secured to the corresponding flange 3%. Each pusher S4 comprises a generally V-shaped element 58 provided with a laterally extending projection 69 integral therewith which is disposed for engagement with the rear portion of can 24.

Element 58 ha a slot 62 therein which receives a camming pin 64 integral with a link 66. Link 66 is pivotally connected to a crank arm 68 integral with a customer actuatable operating member 70. The operating member '70 is provided with a tab 72 to facilitate the grasping of the member by the customer.

Each operating member 76 is joined to the corresponding gate 36 by such means as machine screws 74 or any other suitable means. It may be appreciated, therefore, that, following the unlocking of the gate by the vending mechanism, the customer may actuate the operating member and manually swing the corresponding gate from the closed position to the open position.

The operation of the ejecting apparatus will now be described. FIGURE 1 is especially illustrative in this regard since the upper rack 26 is shown carrying can 24 in the normal position prior to vending, while the can in the lower rack 26 is shown partially ejected therefrom by the operation of the apparatus.

A spring 76 coupled with pusher 54 is employed to bias the pusher into the normal position prior to the ejection of the can. When the customer selects the pro-dnot support station containing the particular beverage desired and operates the vending mechanism therefor by suitable coinage, the gate 36 of the station is released. This permits the operator to swing the gate to the open position to thus remove the obstruction from opening 22.

During swinging of the gate to the open position, crank arm 68 actuates linkage 66 which, in turn, rotates pusher 54 about pivot point 78. The camming pin 64 integral with link 66 slides upwardly in slot 62 and advances projection 6t! forwardly toward opening 22. It may thus be appreciated that can 24 is pushed into opening 22 to permit ready grasping thereof by the customer. After the can is withdrawn by the customer, spring 76 return the ejecting mechanism to the normal position. Simultaneously, the can 42, which was adjacent can 24, is allowed to gravitate into the rack by the releasing action of the divider bar described in the aforesaid Letters Patent.

Referring to FIG. 5, it may be noted that means is also provided by the instant invention for preventing possible jamming of the vending mechanism due to the presence of rims S0 at the opposed ends of the cams. This is accomplished by providing guides 82 and 84 at the lower end of shelf 44 which cause the cans to be longitudinally offset when fed into rack 26. Guide 82 is formed by bending a portion of upturned edge 86 of shelf 44 inwardly toward can 42, While guide 84 is formed by bending upturned edge 88 of shelf 44 away from can 42.

It may further be noted that projection 60 is provided with a beveled margin 89 aligned with guide 82 to longitudinally displace can 24 as the same is received from the guides. In this manner, can 24 is directed into a position in the rack, as shown in FIG. 5, wherein the rims of the can are offset from the rims of can 42.

It may be appreciated that any number of article support stations 20 and corresponding shelves 44 may be em ployed depending on the number of different types of beverages desired to be contained in a single vending machine. The name of the beverage dispensed by a given station may conveniently be placed on surface 99 of the operating member 7 ii to identify the beverage.

From the foregoing description it is evident that the instant invention provides apparatus which enables a customer to conveniently grasp an article to be vended even though such article does not have an elongated neck such as a bottle, to facilitate the removal thereof from the Vending machine. It will be appreciated, of course, that the teachings of the invention are equally applicable to packaged products other than canned beverages since the apparatu above described is also capable of ejecting products contained in other types of packaging.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an article dispensing machine of the type wherein the article is manually removed from the machine by a customer grasping and pulling the article therefrom:

means defining a station for receiving and supporting an article to be dispensed; structure adjacent said article station presenting an opening for manual removal of the article therethrough, said opening being of dimensions rendering an article at said station relatively inaccessible for manual grasping thereof through said opening;

control gate means on said structure selectively movable by said customer from a normal position 0bstructing said opening to a location clearing the article for manual removal from the station;

pusher means adjacent the station and movable along a path to shift an article at said station partially through said opening for ready grasping of the article by the customer; and

linkage means operably coupling the control gate means to said pusher mean for shifting the latter along said path in response to movement of the control gate means toward said location thereof, said linkage means including lost motion means operable to permit the control gate means to be moved a sufficient distance toward said location thereof to clear the article before the pusher means is shifted by the control gate mean to move the article to a position extending through said opening.

2. In an article dispensing machine of the type wherein the article is manually removed from the machine by a customer grasping and pulling the article therefrom:

means defining a station for receiving and supporting an article to be dispensed; structure adjacent said article station presenting an opening for manual removal of the article therethrough, said opening being of dimensions rendering an article at said station relatively inaccessible for manual grasping thereof through said opening;

control gate means on said structure selectively movable by said customer from a normal position obstructing said opening to a location clearing the article for manual removal from the station;

pusher means adjacent the station and movable along a path to shift an article at said station partially through said opening for ready grasping of the article by the customer;

an elongated connector link;

means pivotally joining one extremity of the link to said control gate means; and

a component on the opposite extremity of the link pivotally joining the latter to said pusher means for shifting the latter along said path thereof in response to movement of the control gate means toward said location of the same, said pusher means being provided with an elongated slot therein slidably receiving said component and of a length and disposed to provide sufficient lost motion of the control gate means with respect to the pusher means during movement of the control gate means toward said location thereof to cause the pusher means to be shifted by the control gate means to an extent to push the article through said opening only after the control gate means has been shifted to a sufiicient extent to clear the article as it is partially ejected from the station by the pusher means. 3. An article dispensing machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said control gate means and the pusher means are disposed for swinging movement about spaced, parallel axes and the slot is located at an acute angle with respect to an imaginary plane passing through said axes when the control gate means is at said position thereof. 4. An article dispensing machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein is provided spring means joined to said pusher means for biasing the latter away from said opening.

5. An article dispensing machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein is provided means operably connected to said station defining means for supporting a plurality of articles in disposition to be successively fed to the station as articles are removed therefrom.

6. An article dispensing machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said pusher means comprises a generally L- shaped element having a projection thereon positioned to engage the article to shift the latter through said opening as the element is moved by said control gate means, said article support means being provided with guide means thereon having an inclined cam margin positioned to be engaged by the extremity of an article remote from said opening, as the lead article moves onto said station in front of said projection and from the article support means for shifting said lead article toward the opening with respect to remaining articles on said support means.

7. In a vending machine:- a number of article support stations each adapted to receive an article to be vended, and each including means defining an article delivery opening; slant shelf means for each station respectively for feeding articles successively thereto;

a customer actuatable operating member in each of said delivery openings and shiftable from a normal position obstructing the corresponding opening to a customer actuated position in which the opening is unobstructed;

shiftable pusher means at each station normally in disposition remote from the delivery opening thereof, movable along a path toward and away from said opening thereof, and adapted to engage an article at the corresponding station for slidably advancing said article into said delivery opening during shifting of said pusher means toward said opening; and

lost motion linkage means operably coupling each member with the corresponding pusher means for shifting the latter along said path toward the corresponding delivery opening, upon customer actuation of said member, through a path of travel to effect movement of the article through said delivery opening and to a location permitting ready grasping thereof by a customer only after the respective actuating member has been shifted away from said normal position thereof a sufiicient extent to clear the article as it is pushed through the opening by said pusher means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNiTED STATES PATENTS 1,105,502 7/14 Fain 221-249 X 1,576,010 3/26 Swartz 221-311 X 1,804,534 5/31 Jones 221-249 2,049,383 7/36 Prick 221249 X 2,104,671 1/38 Pierce 2213 11 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. IN AN ARTICLE DISPENSING MACHINE OF THE TYPE WHEREIN THE ARTICLE IS MANUALLY REMOVED FROM THE MACHINE BY A CUSTOMER GRASPING AND PULLING THE ARTICLE THEREFROM; MEANS DEFINING A STATION FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE TO BE DISPENSED; STRUCTURE ADJACENT SAID ARTICLE STATION STATION PRESENTING AN OPENING FOR MANUAL REMOVAL OF THE ARTICLE THERETHROUGH, SAID OPENING BEING DIMENSIONS RENDERING AN ARTICLE OF SAID STATION RELATIVELY INACCESSIBLE FOR MANUAL GRASPING THEREOF THROUGH SAID OPENING; CONTROL GATE MEANS ON SAID STRUCTURE SELECTIVELY MOVABLE BY SAID CUSTOMER FROM A NORMAL POSITION OBSTRUCTING SAID OPENING TO A LOCATION CLEARING THE ARTICLE FOR MANUAL REMOVAL FROM THE STATION; PUSHER MEANS ADJACENT THE STATION AND MOVABLE ALONG A PATH TO SHIFT AN ARTICLE AT SAID STATION PARTIALLY THROUGH SAID OPENING FOR READY GRASPING OF THE ARTICLE BY THE CUSTOMER; AND LINKAGE MEANS OPERABLY COUPLING THE CONTROL GATE MEANS TO SAID PUSHER MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE LATTER ALONG GATE MEANS TOWARD SAID LOCATION THEREOF, SAID LINKAGE GATE MEANS TOWARD SAID LOCATION THEREOF, SAID LINKAGE MEANS INCLUDING LOST MOTION MEANS OPERABLE TO PERMIT THE CONTROL GATE MEANS TO BE MOVED A SUFINDENT DISTANCE TOWARD SAID LOCATION THEREOF TO CLEAR THE ARTICLE BEFORE THE PUSHER MEANS IS SHIFTED BY THE CONTROL GATE MEANS TO MOVE THE ARTICLE TO A POSITION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING. 